Peace Akinwale

#content-collab - January 30, 2025 at 07:00 AM

• 1 for sharing your process. I have a detailed process on my research & writing process & I've had clients tell me it's one of the things they love.

#local-nigeria - January 23, 2025 at 12:44 PM

Interesting. Good to be here!

#general - December 14, 2024 at 09:13 PM

Thanks you! I'll check it out.

#general - December 14, 2024 at 09:09 PM

Hiii, I need help.

I have a very good client I want to send a Christmas or a "thank-you-for-being-an-amazing-client" gift to. Nothing boogie, but simple & well-thought. Could even be a simple card. Idk. It's our second Christmas working together, he's been an amazing client, and I just really wanna do something.

Also, I'm not in the US so I need recommendations for gift ideas as well as platforms where I can either personalize the gift or send it.

Any pointers, ideas?

#freelance-talk - December 05, 2024 at 04:42 AM

dangggg. that's wild.

#freelance-talk - December 03, 2024 at 11:18 AM

Ohh, that actually makes sense. They're registered in the US btw.

#freelance-talk - December 03, 2024 at 11:16 AM

Asking makes it alright, yeah @Eric Doty (Superpath)? Someone else said companies ask this sort of thing and it's normal. It's to show off a team...

What do you mean @Rosie?

#freelance-talk - December 03, 2024 at 05:05 AM

A client seems to be treating me and other freelancers as part of their marketing team. Is that alright?

Over a month ago, they did a LinkedIn feature on Introducing our Writers of sorts. I didn't know about it until I was tagged. Now, they're running a "Life at (Client's company) - Social Media Feature" and I'm not sure if that's something a client should do with freelancers.

I want to know your opinions on this— btw, I may appreciate the publicity. I just think it's a bit unusual, weird?

#freelance-talk - October 02, 2024 at 05:57 AM

Hi @Amanda Henry, I get why you're super uncomfortable, and I am on that table with you. At first, I thought the things asked out of scope is something like an extra task. Maybe you agreed to write 5 articles p/m and they're asking for an article refresh (for free). I was gonna say you should get a strict retainer agreement and explicitly write that anything outside the "specific" scope of services in this contract will be billed for.

But since this seems like an issue of extra word count, I feel you should charge per project or per word count range. I currently charge a client $500 for 1,500 to 2,500 words and $600 for 2,500 to 3,500 words. There is no word count in my brief— so I have the liberty to write as much as possible (to cover the bases and meet search intent) or as little as possible (so far it meets search intent). This way, you won't be paid per word; it's per project. And it's fair IMO.

You can also consider charging a flat rate per piece. Doesn't matter if the piece is 1,500 or 4000 words. Whatever works for you, really. I have a client I charge per piece too. I hope this helps.

#freelance-talk - September 12, 2024 at 05:53 AM

Love that you're self-aware of your limitations, Joshua. What worked for me was seeing editors edit live through @Tommy Walker's show at The Content Studio. In my opinion, the earliest episodes were the best (the latter ones focused more on strategy and less on content edits/feedback on the content).

You can check out episodes with Tracey Wallace, Aaron Orendorff, Jimmy Daly, Brooklin Nash, DEFINITELY Erica Schneider, Shayla Price, Rand Fishkin, DEFINITELY Ryan McCready & others you enjoy. I really love these episodes and I remember staying up late at night to download and watch them. I paused each show A LOT so I could read the writer's piece, the editor's comments, and the re-tweaks. It really, really helped.

I also followed Erica Schneider when she started being active on LinkedIn and Twitter. Her editing advice "changed my life" and I'm not kidding.

Like someone said here, read good content. I read from "our" peers too. So look at some of the people you respect on LinkedIn and read their work. I've read tons of articles on Animalz (largely about strategy & having an opinion— and I pay attention to the diction and phrasing. The more I did that, the better I became). I read a lot from Grow and Convert too, and newsletters from Erica Schneider, Emma Stratton (follow her on LinkedIn!), Katelyn Bourgoin's, etc. I love VeryGoodCopy too. These are incredible resources that if you read consistently, you'll sort-of see through their thought/writing process and replicate it. For example, I find myself reading some sentences twice— and I'd be like "if I wrote that, it would be more complicated". So I study the sentences and it helps.

Some advice that sticks with me, over the years:
• Pay attention to passive sentences and change them to active sentences
• If you're repeating an idea twice, delete the second idea and re-tweak the first one to convey what you mean better. Don't essentially use another sentence to buttress the first one. This way, every sentence is important (ensure that).
• Be brutal with adverbs. Delete them. Adjectives too. You "usually" don't need "a lot" of them.
• Remove fluff (just, enable, leverage, etc.)
• Keep your sentences within 20 words. Doesn't always work, but it's good to pay attention to sentence length.
• Vary your sentences too. And don't be afraid to start another sentence with "and".
• Follow and read writers that write good content, fr. It helps, a lottttt. I read a writer shared how proud they are to have their name behind the work they do for Modash on Sunday. Twas on LinkedIn. I've already read three articles by her in my short time (and I've linked to them already in a ghostwritten article for my client lol). I've also read other articles on the Modash website. Great stuff about influencer marketing there. So, reading a lot helps.
I hope these work for you, man. Cheers!

#intros - August 19, 2024 at 10:37 PM

Great intro! Love to have you here, Kelly. I'm checking you on LinkedIn right away.

#freelance-talk - August 05, 2024 at 09:21 AM

thank you so much Aishwarya. this makes a lot of sense and i appreciate you!

#freelance-talk - August 05, 2024 at 08:31 AM

Hi everyone. I need your opinion, please.

A CEO I interviewed with referred me to his brother, head of content at another company. Do I need to, sort of, thank him for the referral?

Some context:
A CEO interviewed me for a B2B SaaS writing role (freelance) two weeks ago. He loves my profile and I'm writing a paid trial article for them this week.

Just last week, a head of content reached out on LinkedIn and I ended the call with him 5 minutes ago. I'll work with him on a project he's looking to start in September/October.

The twist is that he didn't discover me organically. His brother, the CEO I spoke to earlier, mentioned me to him and he reached out.

My Q is, do I need to send a LinkedIn text to the CEO thanking him for the referral? How will this kinda conversation go?

#hire-me - July 08, 2024 at 08:15 PM

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I wonder what the story is, and I hope things change for you on this matter soonest.

Perhaps, the @Eric Doty (Superpath) can look into this?

#hire-me - July 08, 2024 at 05:57 PM

What did he do, please?

#general - July 04, 2024 at 12:54 AM

Thanks mariasa. I'll check it out.

#general - July 03, 2024 at 07:22 PM

Btw, I wouldn't mind if there are alternatives.

I didn't consider WordPress because I don't want a regular blog. I also don't want to manage a lot of plugins which may make the subscription unnecessarily expensive in a couple of years.

Asides from that, Ghost is pretty simple and easy to build without technical knowledge. But rn, I'm open to alternative CMS where I can host my personal website (and still keep a small blog).

#general - July 03, 2024 at 07:15 PM

Hi, I pasted this at <#C012AUSC85C|> but #general looks like a better place.

This message is supposed to be one where I share the news of my personal website. Thanks to a chat I had with @Noelina Rissman and Jimmy's introductory course for content strategists, I decided to create a website and use Ghost.io as the host. But I am frustrated right now.

Ghost accepted a Wise business visa card during my sign-up process for the free trial 6 days ago. This was after they rejected three different Dollar Visa cards I typically use for international payments.

I want to upgrade for the full service now but they're rejecting the Wise card they once accepted. The response I got was that my card isn't accepted yet they list Visa cards as one of their accepted options. The Wise business card I am currently using is issued to a UK-based friend— I am out of options now. I'm beginning to feel like this is a targeted sabotage because I am from Nigeria, but I don't want to be overwhelmed by that thought.

Can you please recommend another card I can use for Ghost.io? Perhaps, a virtual dollar card I can create & activate remotely (I am based in Nigeria right now).

Gracias.

#intros - June 11, 2024 at 10:54 AM

Welcome Jeremiah.

#intros - April 22, 2024 at 09:46 PM

Hi Nicole, welcome to the community!

#freelance-talk - April 21, 2024 at 10:37 PM

Yes @Sneh Ratna Choudhary, PayPal sucks in "third world" countries. It's an absolute mess!

#job-listings - April 20, 2024 at 06:12 AM

Yup @Sue Moore. Unfortunately, folks outside the US can't apply because you need a final interview in their San Francisco office. And it looks like some interviews with execs on stories you'll work on will be physical.

#freelance-gigs - April 16, 2024 at 04:09 AM

Hi everyone, a client in the edtech industry is looking for a Senior Manager of Marketing to develop and execute a marketing strategy for lead generation and brand awareness.

Kindly DM if you're interested; I'll share the full JD and an email to reach out to.

#promo - April 11, 2024 at 01:26 PM

I wrote this article for RankTracker last year; I just realized I haven't pushed it like I should have. I'm loving it again because it really speaks about fine-tuning content strategy to AI-friendly entity-based SEO. According to Timothy Warren, this means creating content that helps search engine bots generate accurate search results (from your blog) by connecting user intent and context. This means creating content primarily with loads of context around the search intent. This kind of content has consumers in the mind, esp on how they'd want to consume the information you're providing.

I also love it because zero click search is now a thing, and I wrote on how your content can still be optimized for success.

You can see this for yourself by reading the piece. If you have the time, tell me your thoughts in the comments/DM.

#freelance-talk - April 11, 2024 at 01:09 PM

Hi, I'm a B2B content writer with 5+ years of writing experience.

I'm looking to guest write a solid article about sales and automation tools for salespeople. Can you please recommend a solid platform with valuable readership that could be strategic to career growth so I can pitch them?

Strategic to career growth in the sense that it's gonna gain organic visibility. Also, a publication where a byline could leave a really cool impression on potential clients that sees the blog URL. Any ideas, please?

#freelance-gigs - March 15, 2024 at 11:18 AM

@Adetola Rachael

#freelance-gigs - January 20, 2024 at 06:07 AM

@Aremu Adams Adebisi, this is youu.

#freelance-gigs - December 15, 2023 at 07:02 PM

Would've hopped on this if it's a content marketing/writing project. lol. I don't feel confident on the strategy front yet.

But I think @Godwin Oluponmile can help.

#freelance-talk - December 02, 2023 at 11:34 AM

If they're a big bucks agency, a £40-£500 charge should be befitting. But if they aren't as big, you can make whatever compromise is alright for you.

#content-collab - November 21, 2023 at 07:53 PM

@Adetola Rachael

#freelance-talk - October 16, 2023 at 02:40 PM

Thank you @Ilham laraba and @Patrick Icasas.

#freelance-talk - October 13, 2023 at 04:00 PM

Hello, I'm ghostwriting for one of the top rated marketing agencies in the US. It's a freelance role and we have specific set up topics every month. Do I need to speak to them before I feature this "new job" on LinkedIn?

#freelance-gigs - July 08, 2023 at 11:53 AM

@Adetola Rachael

#CJE3XC0H3-announcements - June 09, 2023 at 03:26 PM

Just mentioning that I kinda understand the challenge, but aside from high level exces and individuals, I daresay most of the members are just growing their career and while $10 seems cheap, it may be a big deal to a few trying to survive this terrible time. To some, it may not worth it. To others, they can't afford to pay consistently.

I hope the community grows, and I wish that you find sponsors to make the efforts of growing Superpath worth it. Thanks, Jimmy.

#hire-me - June 02, 2023 at 04:58 PM

Hi, I create quality B2B content; I've learned from some of the best editors. If you'd like that I use AI for a part of the research process, I have access to a premium tool.

I'm looking to work with B2B SaaS companies or content marketing agencies who need writers to create outstanding and "authority" content with or without AI.

I understand that the bar is high for quality content. Here's what I've done in the past (portfolio); here's what I look like (LinkedIn).

Love to read from you.

#freelance-gigs - March 29, 2023 at 09:17 PM

@Adetola Rachael.

#freelance-gigs - March 26, 2023 at 12:27 PM

You'll get help here but you can also send it to <#CJ7QJ4WKB|> @subrata dhar.

I really don't know how you can cope with situations like this. But I don't think it should have adverse consequences. Except there's a non-compete clause in your contract with Agency A that says you can't work (or apply to jobs) by ex clients.

#intros - March 15, 2023 at 05:12 PM

Hey Seth, welcome.

#freelance-gigs - March 12, 2023 at 08:05 PM

Good for you, @Clair Belmonte. Happy to work with you if you need an extra pair.

#freelance-gigs - March 12, 2023 at 02:44 PM

For most people, it's the cost of building & managing it. Which I understand. Early stage folks need sufficient funds before they start a project like that.

#freelance-gigs - March 07, 2023 at 10:13 PM

I'd go for $600-$750 for now. This blog post could have done better with a lot of visuals showing how Lou works. Rather than have the paragraph talking about how Lou helps onboard customers at the foot of the content, I'd embed screenshots and gifs of how Lou makes it happen. That is, I'd show how Lou can help the reader onboard customers via customized product tours, onboarding checklists, tooltips, etc.

This means I'd have to use Lou to make the content as practical as possible. Which is good. This will help a reader — who wants to consider Lou — have a practical idea of what you're talking about in the blog. As well as how your product works.

I'd also use some expert quotes to show authority, throw some data into it to prove that Lou is built with intent, and do a bit of structuring to make each paragraph sync easily.

#freelance-gigs - March 03, 2023 at 09:23 PM

Depends on the niche & the expertise of the writer. Check this: https://www.superpath.co/blog/freelance-writers-rates.

#hire-me - March 03, 2023 at 02:08 PM

So much love the phrase Photography is a game of first impressions in your article for Pixellu.

#freelance-gigs - March 01, 2023 at 05:26 PM

While this is for hiring flutter developers, the places mentioned here are incredibly helpful.

#freelance-gigs - February 27, 2023 at 09:30 AM

Thanks @Georgie, I'm still looking to land a FT role, but I understand you here.

Cheers to freelancing.

Btw, Dom is right. You'll most likely start with low paying gigs to boost your profile. Then, you could start getting companies that understand your offer and can afford it. Btw, always tell those low paying folks to write recommendations about their experience working with you. It always helps.

The key is consistently updating your profile to fit into the keywords potential clients are searching for. So, if you were optimized for "B2B content manager", you may need to consider a variation if that's what clients are looking for. e.g. B2B content strategist. You dig?

#freelance-gigs - February 27, 2023 at 09:21 AM

Mind if we chat about leaving in-house? I'm looking to go in-house & I'm curious to why you're leaving.

#freelance-gigs - February 10, 2023 at 08:50 PM

I think @Cierra Loflin & @Jimmy Daly (Superpath) cited the minimum pay for jobs posted here. I'm sure it's not $18 for 1000 words. Please review this post or delete.

Would've recommended @Adetola Rachael for this btw, but the pay won't cut it. You may reach out if you x 2.5 your budget.

#freelance-gigs - January 19, 2023 at 05:56 AM

@Julie Simpson, I agree with the questions on why I charge so much. They think content creation is just fleshing out words.

#freelance-gigs - January 11, 2023 at 04:35 PM

• While I think it's alright to choose a niche when you're starting out, I also think it's okay to be flexible. This way, you can hone your research abilities by creating content on multiple niches. But this may not be the best advise in this pile.
• Freelance with a marketing agency, if there's an offer.
You'll gain valuable experiences from multiple sectors & content types/format through this. You can start with a small agency & scale up within 6-12 months to a bigger agency. It all depends on your growth. This way, you'd get someone in the agency (seniors or colleagues) to guide you.

• Well, I don't know your level of expertise (you may be better than the so called entry level writers even if you're one year into the industry).
But I'd say Don't make money a priority yet. Bill enough to make a honest living out of yourself. Prioritizing money over value/quality when you're just starting out may not work because those agencies/companies don't know how good you are. They'd think it's ridiculous if you're asking for a 2-4 years experience writer's pay if they know you're new.

• Pleaseeeeee, create a content portfolio.
Write about the industry/niche you really love on medium or HackerNoon (esp if it's tech). & Make sure these articles are really good. Make each of them your best. You can write about trends, or something you discovered.

I wrote about some easily dismissible features of Slack on HackerNoon when I started using Slack in 2020, I think. I noticed them, & was surprised some points weren't really talked about online. E.G. filtering your notifications by keywords.

Many freelancers ghostwrote when they started. A portfolio is what makes them unique. I got my first bylined gigs, thanks to my portfolio.

Don't sell yourself short.
Don't stop grinding
Reaaad as much as you can. Read good content from Grow and Convert, Foundation Marketing, Superpath, and many other industry blogs or newsletters. They will make you a better writer, I assure you. Because the more you read, the more your exposure to what good writing looks like.
Learn SEO. You may not need to force technical SEO but understand the best practices to create pieces with potentials to rank on Google.

What else?

Follow industry experts on LinkedIn to read what they have to say. It's important, because the bits of information they share may not be found elsewhere. There are things you'd read and would never forget — You'd probably never find them elsewhere.

Also, stream some of the episodes of The Cutting Room on YouTube. Tommy Walker runs the podcast. Those episodes on content marketing & the live edits have changed my life. Like I said, there are many things industry experts will say on interviews, Twitter or LinkedIn that you won't find elsewhere. & That's because they may not even know how profound & well-thought their statement could be. But it'll resonate with you.

#freelance-gigs - January 11, 2023 at 11:25 AM

Your portfolio looks really cool, @Anna Burgess Yang.

Edit: I'm not referring to the design alone. I like the smoothness of the articles on Zapier & Webflow.